Assessing Mindfulness

Last year, ICF surveyed more than 1,000 coaches and 250 training providers to identify the most popular frameworks, tools and techniques for coaches. More than 20 percent of coaches surveyed said mindfulness was among the three theories and frameworks most useful to their practices, while almost 50 percent of training providers reported that their students and graduates use mindfulness in their practices.

Mindfulness is described differently by different people, but at the heart it is about the ability to be present in the moment. It is an important element for successful coaching aligned with the ICF Core Competencies, particularly coaching presence. It is also interesting to note that researchers Nicola Schutte and John Malouff found that mindfulness is correlated to emotional intelligence, another important factor in successful coaching outcomes.

Many assessments of mindfulness exist. The most widely used are Kirk Warren Brown and Richard M. Ryan’s Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire by Ruth Baer and colleagues. Both assessments are well-validated. The MAAS is a single measure of mindfulness, whereas the longer Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire assesses the ability to mindfully observe, to describe actions and events, to experience without judging, to act with awareness, and to remain nonreactive to inner experiences.

Mindfulness assessments are useful to raise awareness in clients that actions can frequently occur as automatic responses—with automaticity, as it is sometimes called. A frequent example I provide is that of carrying a plate and napkin back into the kitchen after a meal: Occasionally, we may prepare to throw the plate in the trash and put the napkin in the sink. To be mindful is to be fully aware that you are carrying a plate and a napkin and that the plate goes to the sink and the napkin goes in the trash.

A mindfulness assessment will provide an objective view of a client’s level of mindfulness. Once becoming aware of this information, the client may choose how much work he wants to do on this aspect of his personality.

The decision of whether to strive for greater mindfulness can be framed by a discussion of trait and state behaviors. Trait behaviors are those fundamental attributes that came into the world with us. For example, by nature your client might be a happy, positive person who’s always looking for the next opportunity. State behaviors are those learned as an adaptation to significant life events. If your client works to become more mindful but continues without much progress, it is likely his low level of mindfulness is a trait. In other words, he simply may not be wired toward mindfulness. In these cases, the focus of the coaching engagement might shift toward helping him find strategies to adapt to the trait.

Utilizing the concept of mindfulness can pay significant dividends for both you and your client. Lahnna Catalino and Barbara Fredrickson’s research (available to the public in manuscript form via the National Center for Biotechnology Information) has shown that individuals higher in mindfulness are more likely to flourish and lead happier lives. While not a sure thing, cultivating this idea of mindfulness may help to move the consciousness of our time in a positive direction.